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1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

American college football season

Field	Value
year	1969
team	Penn State Nittany Lions
sport	football
conference	Independent
CoachRank	2
APRank	2
record	11–0
head_coach	Joe Paterno
hc_year	4th
off_scheme	I formation
def_coach	Jim O'Hora
dc_year	4th
def_scheme	[4–3](4-3-defense)
captain	Tom Jackson
captain2	Mike Reid
captain3	Steve Smear
stadium	Beaver Stadium
champion	Co-national champion (FACT, Sagarin)
Eastern champion
Orange Bowl champion
bowl	[Orange Bowl](1970-orange-bowl)
bowl_result	W 10–3 vs. [Missouri](1969-missouri-tigers-football-team)

Eastern champion Orange Bowl champion The 1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 1969 NCAA University Division football season.

Despite posting its second consecutive undefeated, untied season, the Nittany Lions did not have a shot at the national championship. President Richard Nixon said that he would consider the winner of the December 6 matchup between the Texas Longhorns and the Arkansas Razorbacks, then ranked at the top of the polls, and the real voters do not seem to have differed. Paterno, at the 1973 commencement, was quoted saying, "I'd like to know how could the president know so little about Watergate in 1973 and so much about college football in 1969?" Then Pennsylvania Governor Raymond P. Shafer got the White House's attention with Penn State's two-season undefeated streak. A White House assistant called Paterno to invite him and the team to the White House to receive a trophy for their accomplishment. Paterno has stated many times that he responded with, "You can tell the president to take that trophy and shove it."

Penn State declined an invitation to play the Texas/Arkansas winner in the Cotton Bowl Classic, instead playing sixth-ranked Missouri in the Orange Bowl. Penn State beat Missouri 10–3, while Texas beat Notre Dame 21–17 and was recognized as the consensus national champion. Penn State was selected co-national champion by FACT and Sagarin, both NCAA-designated major selectors.

Schedule

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Game summaries

Pittsburgh

NC State

Personnel

Earl Bruce
Jim O'Hora
Frank Patrick
Bob Phillips
Dan Radakovich
Jerry Sandusky
Jim Weaver
George Welsh
J. T. White

Awards

Mike Reid
- Maxwell Award
- Outland Trophy

NFL draft

Eight Nittany Lions were selected in the 1970 NFL draft.

Round	Pick	Overall	Name	Position	Team
1st	7	7	Mike Reid	Defensive tackle	Cincinnati Bengals
3rd	6	58	Charlie Pittman	Running back	St. Louis Cardinals
3rd	20	72	Dennis Onkotz	Linebacker	New York Jets
4th	17	95	Steve Smear	Defensive end/Linebacker	Baltimore Colts
4th	20	98	John Ebersole	Linebacker	New York Jets
7th	23	179	Don Abbey	Fullback	Dallas Cowboys
8th	17	199	Paul Johnson	Running back	Washington Redskins
12th	17	303	James Kates	Linebacker	Washington Redskins

References

Anderson, Shelly. (November 17, 2006). "Research shows Nixon hurt '69 Lions". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
Rudel, Neil. (April 24, 1994). "Snub by Nixon helped Penn St.". [[The Beaver County Times]].
(August 2018). "2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records". National Collegiate Athletic Association.
(September 21, 1969). "Lions slap 45–22 loss on Middies". The News and Observer.
(September 28, 1969). "Penn State wins 13th tilt in row". The Indianapolis Star.
(October 5, 1969). "Cats stubborn in defeat". The Kansas City Star.
(October 12, 1969). "Unbeaten Penn State blanks West Virginia". San Antonio Express/News.
(October 19, 1969). "Penn State, down 14 in 4th, edges Syracuse, 15–14". The Star-Ledger.
(October 26, 1969). "Penn State string goes to 25 in row". The Daily Times.
(November 2, 1969). "Penn State rally pend BC Eagles". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution.
(November 16, 1969). "Pittman scores 3 in 48–0 win". Sunday News.
(November 23, 1969). "Penn State chokes Pitt rallies, 27–7". Staten Island Advance.
(November 30, 1969). "Penn State rumbles past Wolfpack 33–8". The Roanoke Times.
(January 2, 1970). "Penn St. shows Missouri how to intercept win, 10–3". Florida Today.
. ["Schedule/Results (1969 Penn State)"](https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/174805). *[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]]*.
"Onkotz' Run Leads Penn State Past Pitt, 27-7." Palm Beach Post. November 23, 1969
"Penn State Rumbles, 33-8." Palm Beach Post. 1969 Nov 30. Retrieved 2015-Apr-30.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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